Govt to get MI-17 cargo helicopter for relief operation

The Centre will provide an MI-17 cargo chopper to Uttarakhand to ferry heavy equipment to calamity-hit high altitude areas to expedite reconstruction work in the state.

An inter-ministerial group (IMG) chaired by cabinet secretary Ajit Seth on Friday, took this decision in New Delhi, said an official release.

Taking heavy equipment and tools to places located at higher reaches, especially the Kedar valley has been a major hurdle in the reconstruction exercise underway in the region for about a year.

It was also decided at the meeting to grant Uttarakhand government the right to transfer up to five hectares of land which will speed up stalled development activities and give forest clearance to land located at least 100 km away from the Line of Control on its own.

Earlier, the state government had the right to transfer only up to one hectare of land on its own.

Cases involving transfer of land beyond this size used to be forwarded to the forest and environment ministry for clearance.

Similarly, Uttarakhand earlier had to wait for forest clearance in the border areas.

The right to give forest clearance to land located at least 100 km away from the border will expedite development work in frontier areas, the release said.

Uttarakhand chief secretary Subhash Kumar had raised these issues before the IMG at the last meeting held in Delhi.